VIETNAM
COL. CARLYLE “SMITTY” & LOUISE HARRIS STORY
COL. CARLYLE “SMITTY” AND LOUISE HARRIS’ STORY
Performed by John Slattery and Mary McCormack
2023 National Memorial Day Concert
underscore music from the National Symphony Orchestra
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American POWs of the Vietnam War endured unfathomable conditions, abuse, and torture.
Col. Carlyle “Smitty” Harris (Ret.) was imprisoned by the North Vietnamese for nearly 8 years. Through the use of the Tap Code, Smitty and his other POW cell mates, were able to remind each other that they were military men following their Code of Conduct to live, resist and come home with honor. His wife Louise stayed hopeful on the home front. Resilient and strong, she kept their three children going and navigated the life of a POW family.
This tribute to Vietnam-era Veterans will honor and feature courageous POWs who endured, resisted and remained unified in the face of horrific captivity, remember the more than 58,000 American lives lost in the Vietnam War and those who remain missing and unaccounted for.
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“We need to memorialize all military people who didn’t come home.”
-Col. Carlyle “Smitty” Harris (Ret.)
YOLANDA ADAMS PERFORMS “COUNT ON ME”
Honoring Col. Carlyle “Smitty” and Louise Harris